Good morning, I have a query for the ticketing experts on this forum.
Yesterday I planned to travel Cardiff-Leicester and had booked tickets (Anytime Return) on-line with Arriva Trains Wales, I also booked parking at the station car-park via ATW's parking provider. However on arriving at Cardiff Central (at around 07:00 and in good time for the booked train), I found that I was unable to park. This was because ATW security people (wearing pink hi-vis with ATW logo) had barriered off most of the (empty) car-park. As I had pre-booked parking, I asked why this was and was told this area was being reserved solely for ATW staff as there was "an event" on. In spite of pre-booking, I was not allowed to park, so I was unable to do my journey- by the time I might have found alternative parking over at St Davids, I would have missed the train and hence my meeting.
I didn't collect my tickets, and applied for a refund on ATW website this morning, but I note they have deducted £10 from what they refunded. Given that my inability to travel was entirely due to ATW's management decisions (there was no advance warning on the pages where I purchased tickets that an event would remove customer parking) and that the transactions were wholly online, I feel that the £10 admin fee is unreasonable- after all, other on-line retailers can process refunds without charging, and in this case it wasn't that I changed my mind on a whim, rather it was the uncommunicated decision by ATW that prevented me from travelling, and had I know in advance they were planning that, I would have not even considered using the train that day.
So..... is there any way that I might be able to get this unfair "admin fee" back? The website doesn't seem to give any info about that, and apparently the only refund mechanism is the one I used (via the website) as that is how I purchased the ticket.
(I am also trying to get a refund on the £12.60 pre-paid car park fee from the car parking provider, but I suspect they will fob me off and tell me to contact ATW.......)
As it happens, in the event I drove to my destination and got there 30 min earlier than I would have done if I had been on the booked train. There's a lesson here ATW- and the consequence that I won't be even considering using the train for my next visits to Leicester tomorrow and next week! (Although maybe DB don't care about losing regular Anytime Return fares of £127 a pop?)
Thanks in advance for any info.
TPO
PS- Mods, sorry if this is in the wrong sub-forum, I could not decide if this should properly be here or in "disputes & prosecutions"
Yesterday I planned to travel Cardiff-Leicester and had booked tickets (Anytime Return) on-line with Arriva Trains Wales, I also booked parking at the station car-park via ATW's parking provider. However on arriving at Cardiff Central (at around 07:00 and in good time for the booked train), I found that I was unable to park. This was because ATW security people (wearing pink hi-vis with ATW logo) had barriered off most of the (empty) car-park. As I had pre-booked parking, I asked why this was and was told this area was being reserved solely for ATW staff as there was "an event" on. In spite of pre-booking, I was not allowed to park, so I was unable to do my journey- by the time I might have found alternative parking over at St Davids, I would have missed the train and hence my meeting.
I didn't collect my tickets, and applied for a refund on ATW website this morning, but I note they have deducted £10 from what they refunded. Given that my inability to travel was entirely due to ATW's management decisions (there was no advance warning on the pages where I purchased tickets that an event would remove customer parking) and that the transactions were wholly online, I feel that the £10 admin fee is unreasonable- after all, other on-line retailers can process refunds without charging, and in this case it wasn't that I changed my mind on a whim, rather it was the uncommunicated decision by ATW that prevented me from travelling, and had I know in advance they were planning that, I would have not even considered using the train that day.
So..... is there any way that I might be able to get this unfair "admin fee" back? The website doesn't seem to give any info about that, and apparently the only refund mechanism is the one I used (via the website) as that is how I purchased the ticket.
(I am also trying to get a refund on the £12.60 pre-paid car park fee from the car parking provider, but I suspect they will fob me off and tell me to contact ATW.......)
As it happens, in the event I drove to my destination and got there 30 min earlier than I would have done if I had been on the booked train. There's a lesson here ATW- and the consequence that I won't be even considering using the train for my next visits to Leicester tomorrow and next week! (Although maybe DB don't care about losing regular Anytime Return fares of £127 a pop?)
Thanks in advance for any info.
TPO
PS- Mods, sorry if this is in the wrong sub-forum, I could not decide if this should properly be here or in "disputes & prosecutions"